Pakistan has denied accusations from Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership that its military carried out overnight air raids that killed 10 civilians, most of them children, in provinces along the shared frontier.

Earlier on Tuesday, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid alleged that Pakistani aircraft struck targets in Khost, Paktika, and Kunar, claiming that a bomb landed on a home in Khost and killed nine children and a woman from the same family. Local Afghan outlets reported that the house was destroyed and that several other civilians were injured in separate strikes.

Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, the head of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations, dismissed the allegations during an informal briefing with reporters. He insisted that Islamabad had not conducted any such operation inside Afghanistan and maintained that "Pakistan always openly announces its military operations" — suggesting that the claims from Kabul did not align with Pakistan’s established practice.

Official spokesperson of Khwarij emirate @Zabehulah_M33 is using old pictures of casualties from an earthquake to claim that they are casualties in the aftermath of a Pakistani Airstrike. Lying and spreading disinformation from online trolls of senior officials. pic.twitter.com/esT5KIS8Sv

— Scimitar (@De__gaulle) November 25, 2025

The exchange comes amid rising tensions following an attack the previous day in Peshawar, where militants stormed a security compound and killed several paramilitary personnel. Pakistani officials have linked the assault to fighters based in Afghanistan and have repeatedly pressed the Taliban government to curb groups operating across the border.

Cross-border friction has been building for weeks. In early October, Pakistan and Afghanistan exchanged artillery fire and airstrikes along the Durand Line after Kabul accused Islamabad of breaching its airspace. Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry described its response as a "retaliation operation," and both sides escalated troop deployments, placing forces on heightened alert.

Efforts to calm the situation led to mediation by Qatar and Turkey. A ceasefire was announced on October 19 in Doha, and the agreement was reaffirmed during subsequent talks in Istanbul. Both governments pledged to uphold the truce, develop a mechanism to monitor violations, and continue negotiations in an attempt to prevent further escalation.

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